Friday, October 12, 2012

Congressman Ryan provides solid defense of prolife position while Vice-President Biden struggles with truth and logic in VP debate

During the Vice-Presidential debate on October 11, Congressman Paul Ryan and Vice-President Joe Biden were asked to tell what role their Catholic faith played in their personal views on abortion. 

Congressman Ryan's response points out that his prolife position is not only based on his faith but also on reason and science.  He also discusses seeing an early ultrasound of his first child.
RYAN: I don't see how a person can separate their public life from their private life or from their faith. Our faith informs us in everything we do. My faith informs me about how to take care of the vulnerable, of how to make sure that people have a chance in life.

Now, you want to ask basically why I'm pro-life? It's not simply because of my Catholic faith. That's a factor, of course. But it's also because of reason and science.

You know, I think about 10 1/2 years ago, my wife Janna and I went to Mercy Hospital in Janesville where I was born, for our seven week ultrasound for our firstborn child, and we saw that heartbeat. A little baby was in the shape of a bean. And to this day, we have nicknamed our firstborn child Liza, "Bean." Now I believe that life begins at conception.

That's why -- those are the reasons why I'm pro-life.
Biden's response was illogical rhetoric pro-abortion Catholic politicians have been using for decades.
My religion defines who I am, and I've been a practicing Catholic my whole life. And has particularly informed my social doctrine. The Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who -- who can't take care of themselves, people who need help. With regard to -- with regard to abortion, I accept my church's position on abortion as a -- what we call a (inaudible) doctrine. Life begins at conception in the church's judgment. I accept it in my personal life.

But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike my friend here, the -- the congressman. I -- I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people that -- women they can't control their body. It's a decision between them and their doctor.
On one hand, Biden claims that he accepts life begins at conception, which would mean he accepts the reality that the unborn are living human beings. Then he claims he won't do a thing to protect and take care of these human beings because others refuse to recognize their humanity.  He refuses to defend the unborn in his political life despite claiming to adhere to Catholic social doctrine which calls on Catholics to take care of who can't take care of themselves.   

Later in the exchange, Biden falsely claimed no religious institutions (including hospitals) would be forced to cover services they are conscientiously opposed to under Obamacare's HHS Mandate.  This statement is incredibly misleading as Biden is familiar with the HHS Mandate and according to ABC News' Jake Tapper, Biden originally opposed to the mandate when it was recommended.
The policy was wrong, the two Catholic men, Biden and Daley, argued, saying that the Obama administration couldn't force religious charities to pay for something they think is a sin. Sources say that Biden and Daley in these internal debates emphasized the political fallout more so than the policy issue.